A Christmas to Remember
by InuFan1
Summary: "Tell me Higurashi, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" Her teacher asked sarcastically. "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together." was her simple reply. S/K
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> Tea With The Lord?  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summery:<strong> She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

**A/N- So tons of you are probably wondering WHY I'm making a new story when I have other stories that need to be updated...It's pretty simple, my computer crashed. Like, as in died, doesn't work anymore...and that includes the majority of my work. Soooo, maybe if I can get the hard drive saved then you'll be seeing updates on the other stories but for now I need some Christmas cheer for myself...and this was it. **

She sat in class, staring out the large window where the snowflakes fell down in what seemed to be slow motion. One by one they fell on the ground where the snow was and meshed with it. How she loved winter time. A smile appeared on the woman's face. The smile however was not a happy one but more a smile that held longing. Longing to be outside. Longing to be anywhere but _here_.

But instead she sat crammed up in a classroom listening to her professor lecture the class on things he knew nothing about. Although to be fair, how could he possibly know of the things he taught? She had taken this class in hopes of giving her closure, yet at the same time help her relive her experiences. Sadly, to her disappointment, the class was anything but accurate. Okay, some things were accurate but not most. Yet she continued doing well in the class in mere hopes that they would touch the subject of the Feudal Era that she had remembered, yet so far they had done anything but.

The mythology class that she was taking as an elective was nothing like she had hoped it would be. She had given it two months and still nothing that she deemed important had been said. So naturally she chose to ignore the professor's ramblings and silently read the book at home in her own time. This was exactly what she had been doing until she heard the professor call her name.

"Higurashi!"

"Yes, Professor?" She asked quietly, looking up at the teacher with an apologetic expression on her face.

"While you are one of the top students so far, could you perhaps inform me why it is that in the past week you have suddenly deemed this class unimportant?" He replied with an angry and haughty look.

"I'm sorry professor, it won't happen again." The raven haired beauty in her early twenty's chimed as she gave him a smile. Who was she kidding? If he kept babbling the same nonsense then she only had two choices. She would either ignore him or correct him. Considering the options, she had decided to ignore him and not sound like a know it all and at the same time a lunatic. Turning her head, the snowflakes once again caught her attention, as if teasing her at the sudden dilemma she was in.

"Miss. Higurashi. Tell me what your opinion is." The professor once again spoke up, well aware that the woman was not paying attention again.

"My opinion on..." The woman began and the professor sighed.

"The mythological creature known as The Killing Perfection." The professor filled in. Instantly the student's eyes went wide. Surely he didn't mean...but she had to make sure.

" The Great Taiyoukai of the West?" She managed to choke out. When the teacher looked pleasantly surprised, the woman knew that they were talking of the same person. The only difference was that she had spent actual time with the so called 'mythological' creature while the professor merely thought it a legend. While she had done research on him, no names had ever come up. To all of modern Japan, he was a legend and went by the name of The Great Demon Lord of the West or the Killing Perfection, not once was he called Lord Sesshoumaru.

"So you _were_ paying attention." Came his quick and rude response.

How had she missed this? How had she not realized that the professor was finally talking about something she actually remembered? Trying to hide her excitement, she gave a tiny smile.

"How would you describe his personality, Miss. Higurashi?" The professor inquired causing the woman's tiny smile to turn into a smirk. How would she describe him? She could think of a million descriptions for the man—well, demon, but she decided to keep it simple and how the textbooks _probably_ described him.

"Strong. Beautiful. Cold." She began and the professor nodded, as if stating to continue on with the information and elaborate on her description of him.

"He was the son of the famous Inu Taiyoukai who fell in love with a human woman and died protecting her. However, The killing perfection had a Youkai mother." She began and the professor began to clap. Even as she spoke her response she somehow felt that the person she was talking about was not the same person that she knew.

"Well done. It seems you have been paying attention. Anything else you would like to add?" The professor asked. Feelings of guilt began to fill her as she mentally argued whether to give Sesshoumaru the credit he deserved. How would he have felt knowing that the only remains of him were in a textbook, and that even those did not accurately represent him. Biting back a sigh, she decided to add more.

"Yes, while he was known to be cold, I don't truly believe he was." She whispered and this time the professor seemed confused.

"Yet all the reading had pointed to him being a cold blooded murderer, perhaps you would like to explain why you feel he was not?" He asked and she nodded.

"I read somewhere" She began with a lie and then continued. "That he actually had a ward, a human ward. Tell me professor, does that sound like someone that is a cold blooded murderer?" She asked the professor with such passion the entire classroom got quiet.

"Perhaps he wanted to eat her? It is not so absurd to think since youkai were known to eat humans." The professor joked, yet the women did not laugh. The mere thought of Sesshoumaru taking care of Rin in hopes to eat her made her sick to her stomach. He was not such a youkai, no, Sesshoumaru had been honorable and so much different than what she had thought of him when she first met him.

"Not only that, he had a half brother and although the legends stated that he hated hanyou's with a passion, he let his brother live peacefully. Once again, does that sound like a cold blooded murderer to you? Perhaps he was merely strong and defended those he cared for? Back then that was how things were done for the most part." She added.

"His half brother?" The professor asked curiously, completely ignoring the rest of what she had said. However, This time it was the woman's turn to grin. He didn't know?

"Surely you must have read about his father falling in love with a human and having another child but instead of a youkai he was a hanyou." She stated with a smirk, for all the times the professor gave her a hard time, she could finally get a little bit of revenge. She heard some of the students snicker at the professors reaction.

"Miss Higurashi, I don't think that fact is correct. I am not aware of him having a half brother." The professor bit out, more than likely irritated at appearing clueless at his own subject.

"I'm quiet sure he did." The women argued back.

Finally the professor huffed with irritation.

"Higurashi, you act as if you knew the daiyoukai personally. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. The class now began to laugh at the joke that the professor made. The women told herself to remain calm and attempted to ignore the comment he had just made to her.

Taking her silence as a sign of defeat, the professor once again began to speak.

"Now students, in a few minutes we will be having a guest speaker who has studied Feudal Era Mythology for almost twenty years." He began and instantly the class room door opened.

"And here he is!" The profess replied enthusiastically as he ushered the guest speaker to come to the front of the classroom. As the man walked by the women, she felt something, something _familiar_. Then it hit her, it was faint but it was there. Following the man with her eyes, she realized that she was not looking at a man but a youkai. Better yet, not just any youkai but an inu youkai. As the Inu greeted everyone, he began to speak.

"Hello everyone. My name is Shinji Murasaki. I major in Feudal Era Mythology-" But the woman known as Higurashi did not let him continue. She didn't let him continue for several reasons, the most important one being that she had a plan.

"Excuse me." She interrupted and the Inu looked up at her.

"May I help you?" He asked and she shook her head. Waiting for her to speak, he began to take a sip out of his water bottle.

"No, I would just like to tell the professor something." She said with a smirk that spoke a thousand words.

"I would like to say that...No, professor, The Lord of the Western Lands and I never did have tea together although we did spend Christmas together." She said with such confidence yet humor in her voice that most assumed her to be joking and merely teasing the professor. However, she did not stop there.

"And let me just say, Lord _Sesshoumaru_ is really not a fan of Christmas carols...although, Rin most definitely was!" She added with the same confidence. The moment those words left her lips, she knew that her plan had worked. For the moment she finished speaking, the guest speaker began to choke on his water with wide eyes directed at her, and only at _her_.

Hmm, so her theory had been correct. This Inu Youkai did in fact know Sesshoumaru personally, and not just as the mythological creature known as the "Killing Perfection."

**A/N- Possibility of being a one-shot? Pretty huge. Seeing as how my computer is dead and suddenly my muses have left and ran away...except for today when I was on hubby's computer. The reason for my computer dying? A certain 2 year old daughter of mine decided to spill juice all over my keyboard while watching Elmo on it...ahh the joys of motherhood/toddler hood. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Hidden Questions  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summery<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

**A/N- AHHHH! What am I doing? I honestly have NO ideas. _ This was supposed to be a One-shot! D:**

Kagome continued on through the foot of snow with irriation. She was on a mission, a mission to get off campus as soon as possib;e. She had been disappointed, yet the more she thought about it, the less disappointed she got. After her initial shock directed towards the speaker known as Shinji, he had praised her. That was _all_ he had done. He had praised her as if she was a child that did a good deed, as if he was giving her a pat on the head. Then he had gone on his way and continued talking to the room of students like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. How dare he!

Yet, that brought up a question for her. What had she wanted? What reaction had she wanted? Did she truly think that he would stand up in front of the class and—and do what? What had she _really_ expected him to do? Surely she did not think it would have been a large ordeal where he stood there absolutely baffled, lost for words, and then excused the both of them and questioned her? Yet as naïve and childish as it sounded, that was what she had _wanted_.

It seemed that yet again, reality had reared it's ugly head. Lately, it had been happening quiet often. Still, she could not shake off the feeling of surprise when the Inu, known as Shinji, hadn't fully taken her bait, at least not all of it! Surely he had to be a tad bit interested, at least just a little! However, as she walked through the snow and away from campus, there was no apparent evidence that he had been. He had just let her go, just like that.

Instantly she felt cold. She knew better then to think it was from the coldness of the harsh winter. The Inu had done the same thing to her as her group of friends had done when she had gone home. They had let her go. No one had stopped her when she told them she was heading home, except for the mild possibility of _him_. Sadly, she never even got the chance to ask why _he_ had appeared at the well that day. Had it really been to ask her not to go home? It seemed that she would never know.

"Higurashi!" A voice called out and in complete shock, Kagome spun around in the direction of the voice. There in front of her stood Shinji Murasaki, the Inu Youkai. Like all the other Inu Youkai's she knew, he stood in all his glory with a smirk. While his hair was not silver but a black color, it was hung in a low pony tail. His narrow, amber colored eyes were all to familiar to her and the smirk that he held was almost identical to the ones she constantly saw on the Inu brother's.

"Yes?" Kagome asked with chattering teeth from the piercing cold wind that had suddenly presented itself. Deep down she wondered if he was here for what she thought...had she been wrong? Had he really chased after her?

"I was wondering if you would like to grab some coffee." He asked in what seemed like an uneasy tone.

"Coffee?" Kagome repeated slightly baffled at his request.

"We could talk about...well, we could talk about Sesshoumaru." He answered back while fidgeting. Sesshoumaru? So he had been curious. Yet, why was the Inu nervous? What reason did he have to be? Kagome have him a questioning look but waited for him to continue.

"And how you knew his name." Shinji finally stated in a much calmer tone. So he had wanted to know about what she knew, or maybe how much she knew. He had disguised it incredibly well.

"I told you already, I read it from your book." She replied nonchalantly.

"Except there is a problem with that."

"Which is?"

"I never stated Sesshoumaru's name in my book."

Kagome gulped as she realized she had in fact been caught in a lie.

"Perhaps I read it somewhere else?" She replied nervously to the Inu.

"I doubt it." Was his only response, as he continued to follow her trail as she began walking away.

"Listen, I have to go home. I have homework to do and quiet frankly the wind is freaking cold." She replied hastily while quickening her pace. As she came closer and closer to her destination, she pondered on what to do. What did he want from her? Better yet, what did he know.

"We could talk about the Christmas that you spent with him." The Inu added but this time Kagome was much more guarded.

"We both know that I only said that to shut up the professor." She stated coolly while effortlessly opening up the door to the train-station.

"Miss Higurashi-" He began once more but Kagome didn't let him finish.

"What do you want from me!" She bit out angrily.

"Answers. How do you know what very few know?" He asked while Kagome attempted to calmly find the right train.

"Why is it such a secret?" She asked curiously, yet at the same time knowing the answer to her question. It had to be a secret. She shouldn't have known what she knew. After all, she was only _human_. Was that what had confused him the most? How a mere human knew things about a Youkai that was more then likely over a thousand years old? Finally she decided to stop with the game of charades and turned to face him.

"Tell me, since I know your kind tends to be more curious then cat's themselves, is it me being a human that baffles you the most? Or are you honestly trying to figure out how I knew the Killing Perfection's name? What are you _really _asking here?" She asked him smoothly and his response was one that she had expected. The Inu's eyes widened at the realization that she had known what he was and more then likely he was shocked by the boldness of her question.

"You-" He began but Kagome began to step onto the train.

"I assure you, I know _nothing_ of what you ask. I merely know a _name_." Kagome once again lied to him. As the doors to the train began closing, the Inu began to speak very quickly.

"You are lying, Miss. Higurashi. All I'm asking for is an explanation, no, not even that! I just have one more question." He stated hastily, causing Kagome to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"What!" She asked with irritation but also mild curiosity. What was so damn important? To her surprise, the Inu somehow managed to answer her question just before the doors closed.

"What song was it that you taught his daughter that irritated him so much? Can I take a guess? Was it 'Deck the Halls'? I only ask because he is not the only one that does not seem to like it, Jaken does not seem very fond of it either." The Inu quickly informed her with a mysterious smile on his face. Instantly, the doors closed and Kagome could not stop the expression on her face until it was too late. Her eyes widened at the information that she had just received and her mouth dropped open. However, it was the last facial expression that gave her away. Her facial expression had gone from shock to awe.

Quickly, she realized her mistake. The Inu was grinning proudly as he noted her expression before she could repair the damage she had unconsiously done. As the train became to move, it had finally dawned on her. He had been asking something completely different then what he had _said_. His real question had not been apparent until after she saw his smirk. He had not known who she was until she gave it away. In short, she had just given him all the answers he seemed to want, without so much as mumbling a word.

He had really asked a simple question.

_Who are you?  
><em>  
>And she had answered before she could stop herself. Now she had several questions of her own. Who was he really? How did he know her when she didn't know him? As the train picked up speed, she could not help looking outside at the winter wonderland. A smile appeared on her face and she recalled the Christmas she would and never could have forgotten.<p>

**A/N- There! I gave you a second chapter on what was supposed to be a One-shot. Wait, does this mean...**

***Bangs head on computer screen***

**I just added ANOTHER story to my list of unfinished stories! O_O**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> Tea With The Lord?  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

**A/N- I'm back! O_O Sorry for the delay. I am currently moving from South Korea (Where we've been living for the past 2 years) to Germany. Obviously you can understand why I've been a bit busy. Well, On the bright side, I got my computer fixed! So after we have moved to Germany and found a home and all that good stuff, expect updates on all the stories :D**

'What do I do?' she pondered while stuffing her face full of food. She sighed in distress at her problem. She now had two problems. One, she still had no idea who the Inu known as Shinji was. Two, she now had no way to contact him. Those two problems created several more problems that went hand in hand with the main issues. Once again, she bit her lip in distress. What had she really done? Had she known that this would have happened by simply defending the Lord of the Western Land then she more than likely would have simply kept her mouth shut.

"I shouldn't have ditched him on the train…." She groaned out loud while deciding to take a sip of water.

"No, you really shouldn't have." A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. As she looked up to see who the voice belonged to, she was already quiet sure she knew the identity. Could it be?

"How are you…are you—are you following me!" She asked shocked beyond belief. She wasn't sure if she should be startled, shocked, confused or suspicious—or maybe all of the above.

"Yes, I am. Be flattered. I don't usually do it." The familiar Inu replied seriously as he sat down at the table she was currently sitting at.

"I can't believe you followed me, isn't that a tad bit…oh stalkerish?" Kagome inquired and the Inu shook his head with a look of amusement.

"I am eager for your story." The Inu informed her while waving a waitresses attention.

"Can I get the Sushi special?" He asked the waitress with a friendly smile.

"It will be ready momentarily." The waitress replied with a come-hither and seductive smile. Rolling her eyes, Kagome waited until the waitress was out of sight to continue speaking.

"My story? Who says I'm telling you 'my story'? Better yet, what exactly is 'my story' that you are talking about?" Kagome asked while making her last attempt to play dumb. She knew it was a weak attempt but she didn't want to go without a fight. He wanted information, as did she, and this time she wanted to get her questions answered.

"Tell me how it is that you came to spend Christmas with the _Lord of Antarctica _and I will tell you how I know Jaken and Rin." The Inu replied playfully with a coyful smile. Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname he had given Sesshoumaru. As she continued laughing with an amused smile plastered on her face, a realization hit her.

"You knew them." Kagome replied in awe suddenly.

"Surely you've already realized that I knew who they were." Shiniji replied a tad bit surprised at her sudden statement.

"No, I mean, you _really_ knew them. You were close to them." Kagome explained carefully while observing the Inu in front of her. The moment the words were out, she could tell the Inu was putting his guard back up. The question that she wanted to know was _why_.

"Just as you did, perhaps you knew him _better_." Shinji replied cautiously while making sure to hide any emotion in his tone.

"Why would you say that? Is that a bad thing—if I knew him better?" Kagome asked curiously, dancing around answering his question. If he wanted to play this game, she would beat him at it.

"You defended him when there was no proof." Shinji stated causally. Was that what this really was about?

"There's proof!" She bit out with narrowed eyes. There was! She was it—she was the living proof that Sesshoumaru was not what the history books made him out to be.

"Well yes, but none that the _humans_ know of." He whispered playfully with the term '_humans'_.

"Can we get on with the story, Miko?" He added impatiently causing Kagome's eyes to widen. This man knew everything about her, or so it seemed…yet she knew nothing of him! This was hardly fair!

"If you know everything about me and everyone else, why ask me about it?" She hissed angrily.

"That is not important. I have no desire for you to tell me what I _already_ know. I do not know how it is that you ended up spending Christmas with the Lord, so thus why I'm asking." He explained.

"Out of everything you could ask me! Why is this so important?" Kagome asked with shock.

"You could ask me about the jewel, about how I'm alive, about why I'm alive, hell, you could even ask how I was able to be human and survive for so…long. Yet you ask how I spent my last Christmas in the Feudal Era?" Kagome asked him, making sure she understood his request.

"That is correct. I have no desire for the other answers. I merely want this one."

"And what do I get? What do I get for giving you this valuable information!"

"What do you want?"

"Will you tell me who you are?"

"No."

"Why?"

"We both know that is not what you want to know."

"How the hell would you know what I—"Kagome began but then stopped.

"What will I want to know?" She suddenly asked with her heart pounding in shock and a hint of fear.

"I will answer the first three questions out of your mouth, after you tell me the story." He told her in a serious tone that Kagome knew meant business.

"You promise? No matter what it is?"

"You have my word, Miko." He responded causing Kagome to sigh in defeat.

"As if I haven't heard that before from an Inu" She replied with disbelief in her voice. As Shinji narrowed his eyes at her implication, she merely rolled hers.

"Alright, it all began when Sesshoumaru joined our group—when he joined our _pack_, as he called it. That's where it all started from." Kagome began while Shinji nodded his head, silently stating that he wanted her to continue on.

**IMPORTANT A/N**- Okay, so I was going to continue with a flash back of what happened but then I realized that I really should stop here because I have a question. What would you, the readers, prefer?

Would you prefer reading 'flashbacks' of what happened or just have Kagome explain what happened? The latter would obviously be much shorter and less personal. There is a good reason why I'm asking this. I'm not going to write chapters of flashbacks if no one wants to read them. So tell me in a Review if you want the next chapter to be a flashback of what happened or if you want Kagome to just quickly explain what happened! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> Tea With The Lord?  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

**A/N- Here's a longchapter for all of you. This will explain Kagome's relationship with Inu Yasha, as well as begin to start the flashbacks with what and how everything happened. While this chapter is pretty slow, I needed to explain how everything happened and what Kagome's current thoughts are on how everything is going on.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and answered about 'flashbacks' or just 'word of mouth'. It was incredibly helpful to get feedback from the readers. I am definitely going to ask more questions with each chapter because you guys were so awesome with your insight! Thank you once again!**

**_Flash Back_**

"No! I don't want him in our group!" The Hanyou whined for what seemed like the tenth time in the past few minutes.

"Inu Yasha, he's helping us. Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, you know—_the killing assassin_, he's helping _us_! Us! You know the group that needs all the help they can get!" Sango whispered angrily at the Hanyou.

"Why is it that you cannot comprehend how helpful this will be for the group!" Sango asked with annoyance in her voice.

"Helpful? Sango, are you kidding? He's going to kill us in our sleep!" Inu Yasha growled back.

"I assure you, the task would have already been completed if I had wanted it done." A cold and emotionless voice startled all those that had been arguing. They had meant to keep the argument quiet but they should have known better then try to keep something from the Lord of the Western Lands superb hearing.

"I have spoken to the alpha in your group—"Sesshoumaru began but was interrupted once more.

"Like hell you have! I haven't heard a damn thing from you!" Inu Yasha growled out.

"He was not referring to you Inu Yasha." A feminine voice shocked everyone as a woman appeared from the clearing.

"Kagome? I thought you were bathing?" Sango asked curiously.

"I was but Sesshoumaru had things to discuss that were more important." She told her friend who nodded in understanding.

"Sesshoumaru is joining us, just like Kikyo joined our group. Inu Yasha, you never asked anyone how we felt about her joining so I feel that I do not need to ask for your permission regarding Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome bit out angrily.

"Kikyo's different! _Lord_ Sesshoumaru? Since fucking when? Since when and why the hell do we need to show the bastard _respect_? " Inu Yasha growled once more but this time, Kagome merely sighed.

"How so, Inu Yasha? She's different because you _love_ her? Well then, I _love _Sesshoumaru. There! He's a part of our group now. I'm glad a simple word is all it takes." Kagome replied spitefully with narrowed eyes at the Hanyou that she had begun to distance herself due to recent events. Everyone looked mildly surprised at the sarcasm dripping from her mouth at the word 'love'. Everyone knew what she was implying.

Kagome did not believe that Inu Yasha was truly in 'love' with Kikyo anymore. No, she was sure that Kikyo's manipulation was the reason for Inu Yasha's sudden protectiveness. All it had taken was Kikyo approached their group half wounded for him to run to her aid. That was all it had taken for Kagome to realize that when it came down to it, they could not really rely on Inu Yasha. She had realized that when it came down to the group or Kikyo, he would always choose Kikyo. However, she was not the only one that had come to that realization.

"That's hardly—"

"Inu Yasha, SIT! Sit and Sit some more!" Kagome hissed out angrily. She had no patience for him. He had pretty much cast their group aside. It wasn't until Kikyo had mentioned that she could join the group to help them that he had even remembered about his team mates. He had only come back to the group because Kikyo had suggested it. That simple action had gotten everyone worried, what if Naraku had wanted this? What if this was another one of Naraku's ideas? Yet it was no shock when Inu Yasha would not listen to any of them. With her last failed attempt to save Inu Yasha, Kagome had given up. She had begun to isolate herself from the Hanyou.

"I have dealt with too much these past few years! You have dragged me around while hopelessly leading me on with your behavior. I don't _care_ anymore! You know why! Here's why, there's a bigger picture here. It's not you, and it's not me. It's getting this damn jewel complete and defeating Naraku! Do you understand?" Kagome growled angrily with fire in her eyes.

"And if that means that we accept help from powerful allies, then so be it! You will be okay with it or you can leave this group!" She finished growling at Inu Yasha angrily.

"Now if you all don't mind, I am going to take the bath that I have wanted to take for a while. Sango, would you like to join me? "Kagome began and her friendly quickly rose up.

"I'd love to!" Sango replied with a nervous smile.

"Miko" Sesshoumaru's voice broke everyone out of their thoughts.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome inquired curiously while momentarily pausing.

"We will leave at sun rise tomorrow. We will head west, there is a shard there." He replied as if telling the weather. Kagome didn't even bother

**_Present Day_**

"Miko, we've been sitting here for an hour and you have only managed to tell me the beginning of the story?" The Inu asked with annoyance and suspicion in his tone.

"Why are you stalling?" He asked in an accusing tone.

"Stalling!" Kagome hissed out annoyingly.

"You're avoiding telling me what I want. You're avoiding telling me the _personal _version of the story." He informed her with irritation.

"If you don't want to hear the story, then leave. Otherwise, sit down, be patient and listen. I swear, you _dogs_!" She bit out. Glaring at the Inu Youaki, she let out a frustrated huff. Here she was giving him what he wanted and the dog was not pleased. Why was it with all the Inu Youkai that she knew seemed to be so ungrateful?

"Are you telling me you knew everything I've stated so far?" She suddenly asked suspiciously. Perhaps now she could figure out everything that he knew about her. Raising a brow, waiting for an answer from the Inu, she waited patiently.

"Obviously I knew that you and Sesshoumaru traveled. I did not expect him to just randomly celebrate Christmas with his brother's Miko, although I will admit I was unaware of the situation between you and the Hanyou." The Inu admitted causally causing Kagome to let out a dog like growl.

"I am not and never was _his_." She spat at him. In sudden anger, Kagome stood up and excused herself. Even as she stood up, she heard him chuckle while whispering something.

"Now we're getting _personal_, good."

"Excuse me; I have to go to the bathroom." She replied loudly while walking towards the ladies room. To her shock, the Inu continued to sit in his chair while finishing his food. Entering the bathroom, she made sure to lock the door behind her. Sitting down in the stall, she let out a loud and frustrated sigh.

"First he stalks me, then he interrogates me and now he's accusing me of stalling. I swear they must have 'arrogance' hard wired into their brain" She whispered to herself. As she sat in the stall, she contemplated on what to do next. Go back and finish the story or make a dash for the exit? The latter was tempting but Inu's identity, or lack thereof held her back. No, she would be honorable and go back; she would finish her story and then get to ask her three questions. She would sure to make the first question be 'who are you.' With her mind made up, Kagome exited the bathroom and headed back to the table where the Inu sat.

"How was your—"The Inu began but stopped at the glare that Kagome gave him.

"Are you going to be patient this time?" Kagome asked him seriously while sitting down.

"Are you going to finish the story before I die?" Shiniji bit back with a smirk.

"Perhaps you could skip the parts that are not important?" he suggested causing Kagome to once again roll her eyes at the Inu.

"Fine, Okay, So Sesshoumaru joined our group. Inu Yasha was an ass. We traveled to the West looking for the shard but there was a huge blizzard, the kind of blizzard that makes it difficult even for Youkai to travel through. We made it through the blizzard, we found the jewel-" Kagome began to tell the events quickly but the Inu stopped her with a growl.

"The blizzard, tell me about that. That would be nearing the Christmas time, no?" He inquired and Kagome sighed but nodded in agreement. As Kagome glanced up at the Inu she noticed something odd. It was as if his eyes lit up in curiosity, or was that _familiarity_? That didn't make sense. Telling herself that she was imagining things, she continued on.

"Yes, that's when everything _started_…" She admitted honestly.

"So tell me about it. Tell me what happened, because something must have happened for the Lord of the Western Lands to actually _want_ to spend time with you." Shinji replied with a tone of certainty. Ignoring what the Inu was implying, Kagome began telling the story once again. This time, she was going to watch Shinij's facial expressions very cautiously. Surely his facial expressions would reveal _something_. Then he said something that made Kagome's eyes widened.

"Tell me what made him so _attached_ to you." However, Kagome knew better than to take the bait. Stopping herself from throttling the Inu, she began talking about the storm that had started it all.

**_Flash Back_**

"I sense it!" Kagome suddenly shouted in excitement when she sensed the presence of a shard. For her, it had felt like forever since she had gotten the feeling of a nearby shard. She didn't need to look up to realize that all eyes were on her. Honing in on her Miko powers, she tried to figure out where it was. As her teeth chattered from the frigid cold, she cursed in realization that she wouldn't be able to pin point the location because of the storm.

"Miko, you are shivering." The demon lord announcing, finally causing Kagome to look up. Giving the Inu a fake smile, she dismissed it.

"She's fine! Kikyo and Sango aren't complaining which means she shouldn't be either!" The Hanyou bit out in annoyance. Ignoring Inu Yasha's comment, Kagome looked at the two opposite paths that were in front of them.

"We need to split up." She announced bitterly.

"How should we do this?" Miroku asked curiously but Kagome knew what he was truly asking. He wanted to know if he and Sango would be stuck with Kikyo and Inu Yasha.

"You guys head that way…" Kagome pointed in the direction of footprints.

"Sesshoumaru and I will head this way." She finished with a stern tone.

"But Kago-" Sango began only to be interrupted by the demon lord himself.

"Your alpha has spoken. I will make sure no harm comes to her." He stated simply and immediately began walking ahead.

"Are you sure?" Sango asked with worry laced in her voice. As Kagome nodded, her friends began to head in the opposite direction with hesitation.

"We'll be fine!" Kagome shouted above the howling winds. With a wave, she ran after Sesshoumaru's silhouette. She had her own personal reasons for wanting to split up from the group but never in a thousand years had she thought that Sesshoumaru would go with her idea. She needed to get away from Inu Yasha and Kikyo before she went mad. She needed time alone and she needed it quickly.

As she glanced at the figure of Sesshoumaru, she began to ponder. They had been traveling for two weeks now and had finally made it to the West a few days ago. When neither Kikyo nor Kagome sensed a jewel shard, he had advised going further into the lands. Kagome had been glad that she had listened to him. Somehow, he had made the journey more tolerable for her. His presence seemed to calm her whenever she wanted to give up or throw every curse word she knew at Inu Yasha. It was as if Sesshoumaru would purposely release his Youkai out to calm her when she needed it…however she was smart enough to realize how absolutely ridiculous that sounded.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome spoke up, as she tried to keep up with his pace.

"Hn?" That was the only response she got.

"Why did you agree to-"

"I was under the impression you needed time away from the hanyou and the dead Miko."

Kagome stopped in her tracks with wide eyes. He was being _nice_? To her? Why? She had noticed that since Sesshoumaru had joined their team, he had been quiet. While he did not talk much, he was _very_ observant. This just proved her point. Anger began to surface but it was not directed towards Sesshoumaru. No, it was directed towards Inu Yasha. All the time she had spent with him, everything she had sacrificed for him and yet here stood his brother—someone who had tried to kill them on more than one occasion, reading her body language better than Inu Yasha ever could. Kagome let out a chocked sigh of sadness. It finally had sunk into her; she had royally screwed up when she had chosen her _prince charming_. As of recently, it seemed that _anyone_would have been a better choice than Inu Yasha.

**A/N- Next chapter will get more into Sesshoumaru and Kagome! Also it will have more interaction between Shinji and Kagome! If you want to see something, have a question answered, or even have an idea, just send me a review or a message and I will try to respond ASAP.**  
><strong>P.S-<strong> Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Keep them coming! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Title: A Christmas to Remember  
>Chapter: Tea With The Lord?<br>Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
>Summary: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."<p>

**A/N- First off, sorry for taking forever to review. My husband, daughter and I are all finally back in the states for a month to visit our families—it has been two years since we were back in America! Obviously family always comes first and it will always stay that way.**

**I was not going to do ANY updates while here in America or even for the next few weeks AFTER we got to Germany. Please remember that updates will be slow due to us trying to find a house to live in for 3 years while in Germany and moving from one overseas location (Korea) to another (Germany) is always hard work.**

**I hope you all can appreciate the fact that I am trying to update—(even if it is just one story) with my very precious and limited time. :)**

**_Flash Back  
><em>**  
>"You are shivering."<p>

The icy and cool voice instantly broke her out of her scattered thoughts. Kagome nodded her head slowly in agreement at his statement. His statement had been an obvious one and one that she could not deny. She had been shivering for the past hour.

"We shall rest." Sesshoumaru replied causing Kagome's eyes to widen in shock and astonishment. Stop because she was _cold_? The first thing that popped up to her mind was 'bizarre'. Inu Yasha would have never stopped due to a _human_ weakness—so why was _he_?

"I'm fine-" She began to say but instantly remembered that he always seemed to win any quarrel or disagreement's that they had.

"It's just not practical—it's not as if we can camp out in the middle of nowhere…and that's all there is! _We're in the middle of nowhere_! We're been walking for the past few hours and all I can see if snow behind me and in front of me. Perhaps when the blizzard stops we can too?" Kagome attempted to explain her reasoning.

"We are not in the middle of nowhere." Sesshoumaru responded indifferently.

"We aren't?" Kagome asked in disbelief and delight at the same time.

"There should be a hut nearby."

"But…how do you know?" She inquired softly in wonder.

"Miko, you seem to forget that these are _my_ lands. That is my job." He answered in a sharp tone that made Kagome wonder if she had insulted him with the silly question. As she was about to apologize her eyes caught something. Instantly she let out a squeal of excitement and pleasure.

"I see it!" She nearly sang as she began to dash towards the cabin that was now fully in her sight.

"Miko, be-" Sesshoumaru began but his words were not heard by her. She was already leaving him in the dust of snow. Sesshoumaru's sensitive yet remarkable hearing picked up the sound of the cabin door opening and within seconds closing.

"Miko!" Sesshoumaru growled out in mild irritation. Suddenly, the door opened slowly and revealed a nervous looking Miko who was biting her lip. It seemed she had realized her sudden lack of manners.

"I'm so—"She began to once more apologize but the Inu Youkai ignored her apologies and began to speak.

"I will gather wood. Stay in the hut. Do not leave." He gave the orders in a serious and stern tone. Nodding at his request the Miko waited for her cue to shut the door. As Sesshoumaru turned his back to her, she couldn't help but smile softly. In mere seconds he was gone and with that, Kagome shut the door.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flash Back<br>_**  
>"Can you explain something to me?" Kagome asked curiously as she devoured the now cooked food that Sesshoumaru had caught and brought back.<p>

"What is it that you wish to know?" Came his response as he examined the small cabin in mild curiosity.

"Why travel with us?"

"Naraku needs to be killed."

"But why _now_?"

"He is causing chaos and havoc on my lands."

"Why only _now_?"

"He has become bolder. He was once afraid of the consequences that would come if he did such things—now he does not. I assure you it is a mistake he will regret."

Kagome stared at the lord suddenly intrigued and interested.

"You don't like me…yet you're traveling with me, why?" She asked in a gentle tone. She was going to see just how many of her questions she could get answered. This suddenly talkative Sesshoumaru was _uncommon_ and she was not going to ignore such a rare opportunity.

"I have no feelings towards you, Miko. I do not hate you, nor do I have any affection towards you. I travel with you to rid of Naraku. " Came his response once more. Sighing, Kagome nodded in understanding.

"You must think I'm stupid-" She began once more but this time Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are much too expressive and emotional. As well as abnormal for a human and very strange yet I do not question your intelligence. You know how to read and you seem far more knowledgeable than most humans or Youkai alike. "The lord replied cautiously yet still holding back any emotion.

"Oh." That seemed to be all that Kagome could manage to get out. That was not what she had expected, and the straightforward response he had given her had shocked her more than anything.

"You're different from when we first met." Kagome admitted with a bit of shame in her voice.

"As are you."

"I suppose having five years to mature from the age of fifteen to twenty helped." She replied humorously.

"Are you not old in human years? Why have you not started a family yet? You are not even marked." The lord inquired with a raised brow causing the Miko to laugh.

"I suppose for most people _here_ I am. Where I come from it is not uncommon. Where I come from I am still very young to have children—almost too young. She explained carefully. This seemed to peak the Lords interest further.

"Your land sounds strange." He replied as he turned towards her and examines her face for any signs of dishonesty.

"It is. Women are educated there, they can do anything a man can do—well not everything but they are given the same _opportunities_. It's nice…I miss home." She replied sadly while looking at the floor.

"Why do you not return?"

"I suppose I _could_. Sometimes I do but never for a long time. I have a duty to finish, and after it is done… _then_ I can go home." She explained to him. Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding and admiration.

"Why do you miss your home so much?" He asked curiously, like a child wanting to know everything about something so mysterious and unknown.

"I miss my parents, my brother and just the little things." Came Kagome's reply as she glanced out the window in the hut. As the snow came down rapidly and the blizzard continued, she smiled.

"Like _Christmas_…" She half whispered with longing in her eyes.

"Christmas?" Something in the tone that Sesshoumaru used almost demanded explanation of what this 'Christmas' was.

"Yes, _Christmas_…" Kagome answered with a wide smile and a voice full of excitement as she contemplated of how to explain her favorite holiday to the Lord of the Western Lands.

**_Flash Back_**

"Christmas can be _difficult_."

"Yet you desire it and yearn for it? Why is this?"

"It's complicated."

"Explain."

Kagome took a deep sigh as she thought of how to explain _Christmas _to the lord of the western lands. Should she tell him the truth? Deciding to keep a few details out, she began to explain.

"You see, Christmas time comes in early to mid-winter. It's a time for celebration-" She started and then stopped mid-way. How was she going to explain this to Sesshoumaru? She decided to stop worrying and started talking once again.

"The day before Christmas is very important, _especially_ for women. That's partially why it can be _difficult_. You see, the day before Christmas is all about romance. It's the time for miracles—ones regarding _love_. It's a time to spend with your boyfriend—err…the person you like-"

"The person whom is courting you?"

"Yes, something like that. The day is all about everything being _perfect_ and _romantic_. You exchange gifts with the one you love, cute little presents. Something that is meaningful to them...something that shows them how much you love them. It's also a time to tell the ones you have secret feelings for how you feel about them. However, if you don't have someone special…it can be _difficult_." She explained and noticed the lord nodding in understanding.

"You have stated before that you do not have someone _special_…and yet you enjoy this celebration?" He inquired with mild confusion in his tone.

"That's why it's complicated. While Christmas in my home is very much to do with romance, it also has to do with family."

"I see." Sesshoumaru responded simply.

"See, Christmas parties are also held around Christmas day! There's even cake! It's called a Christmas cake and it's this yummy food that's very sweet with strawberries on it!" Kagome told Sesshoumaru while practically drooling over the memories of the cake.

"At the parties you can see friends and family as well as exchange gifts with them as well. An awesome part about Christmas is the decoration! You get to decorate trees and so much more."

"Decorate tree's?" He asked a bit baffled at the sudden information.

"It's really not as crazy as it sounds!" Kagome replied with a laugh at the Inu's expression.

"That is it? That is all you do for this celebration? Nothing else?" He asked with a raised brow while Kagome nodded in response.

"If you miss this holiday so much…why do you not decorate trees on your own?" Sesshoumaru suddenly inquired with a mystified tone. Kagome couldn't stop the laugh that surfaced at his question. As she stopped laughing she smiled at the realization that he had completed missed why this holiday was so dear to her. Yet to the lords defense, how was he supposed to know everything?

"It's seeing my family and friends that makes the holiday so great…" She replied warmly while giving the Inu a soft smile.

"It's celebrating Christmas, seeing friends and family and longing to find 'the one' or at least _someone_." She admitted honestly with a heavy smile. As she looked down at the ground she couldn't help but wonder if that would ever happen. Would she ever have a normal life? Would she ever have a normal boyfriend? Someone she could hang out with or watch TV and yet feel so adored and loved at the same time? She realized the chances of her having a normal life were getting slimmer and slimmer.

"You wish to not be alone." He stated unexpectedly. Kagome glanced up at him in embarrassment.

"I fear and dread it." She told him honestly with a bit of bitterness. It was true, that was her biggest fear. She had become so attached in this era, yet at the same time she wanted a normal life. She knew that she could not have both. She knew if she went back to her normal life she would be forgotten. The thought that no one would remember her disturbed her drastically.

"You will not be forgotten." He replied suddenly with a very stern tone. Kagome met his eyes once more with a sad smile. She let out a small and sad pathetic laugh

"That is where you are wrong, Lord Sesshoumaru. After Naraku is killed and the jewel is back together—no one will remember me." She told him. She wished she could tell him the truth, she was not even sure why she wanted to…but something told her not to. As she gazed into his eyes she noted the confusion that was there…within seconds his eyes went back to being emotionless. If only he knew.

"You should rest." He added coolly and almost distantly while he sat down and rested against the wall. Biting her lip, Kagome decided rest was very much needed. Grabbing the warm furs that were all placed on the table, she wrapped herself in them. As her body got warmer and warmer, she began to doze to sleep. It was not until Kagome was in a deep sleep did Sesshoumaru turn to gaze at the sleeping form. With narrowed eyes, he examined the petite and delicate Miko carefully. Several minutes passed until finally he let out a quiet yet dangerous growl.

"Childish Miko, you will not be forgotten." He stated quietly in a tone full of certainty.

**A/N- Another chapter! D: I know, I know…! Still, this chapter needed to be written and is very important! (That's a hint!) Feel free to guess why it's so important via reviews, lol! Something that I wrote in this chapter will be very important for the last time that she sees Sesshoumaru in the Feudal Era! Guess away! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

_**Flash Back**_

"Here it is, Inu Yasha. I did my part" Kagome replied in a sharp and bitter tone as she handed Inu Yasha the shard that Sesshoumaru and she had finally found. The old Kagome would have cried, she would have pleaded and gotten on her knees and begged Inu Yasha to really _think _about his wish. However, that Kagome was long gone. The new Kagome stood there in the snow covered forest glaring at her once good friend and her first real love. As she looked up at the expression—the lust on Inu Yasha's face for the jewel, she mentally said her goodbyes to the Hanyou.

"Tell me when you are ready to make the wish. I will purify the jewel for you, but I do not have the desire to be there for when you make your wish." She informed the Inu bitterly.

"That might be a problem…" A new voice suddenly chimed in. Kagome turned to the voice to see her best friend standing there with anger radiating off her body.

"The dead Miko is gone." An aloof voice added and Kagome almost shivered at the sound of it. Turning to Sesshoumaru, her eyes widened once she realized what Sango and Sesshoumaru suddenly were saying. Kikyo had left. She was gone. Kagome went from confused to furious in a matter of seconds once she realized something else.

"Tell me she doesn't have the rest of the jewel Inu Yasha" She all but growled at him. Kagome didn't need to wait for a response to know the answer to her question.

"I am not dealing with this. I told you, I told you this would happen. No, _everyone_ told you this would happen. Everyone said to not trust her but you did. You will deal with this. You will get the rest of the jewel back or so help me god—"She shouted at him angrily. Before she or Inu Yasha could both do anything, Sesshoumaru appeared between them instantly.

"Go." He growled at the Hanyou and without another second passing, Inu Yasha was gone.

Kagome mentally thanked Sesshoumaru for taking care of it before she had to. Her body was shaking in rage. Inu Yasha had trusted Kikyo when everyone had told him not to. He had pushed his friends aside so he could follow the dead Miko. The Miko that was no longer the women he remembered or loved. Still, even after all of that, Kagome felt pity for Inu Yasha. Soon, _soon_ he was going to realize why no one but him had trusted Kikyo. Soon, hopefully he would know and understand the truth.

"Rin has asked permission to see you. " Sesshoumaru spoke up and brought Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She replied confused at what he was implying. When had he had time to talk to Rin in the recent events? Still, she continued to listen to what he had to say.

"You will stay in my castle until the Hanyou returns with the dead Miko." He replied simply. Staring at his eyes, she realized there was no room for arguments. While she was surprised Sesshoumaru had just said such a thing, she suddenly realized he was only being practical. They were in his lands and so it naturally only made sense to stay here and wait for Inu Yasha. Even with all of that, she was still surprised he had offered his home to them. Hiding back a smile, she nodded in agreement.

"All of us?" Miroku asked curiously. A nod from Sesshoumaru was all they got as a response and he started walking further into the forest.

**Present day**

"Interesting." The Inu muttered under her breath but Kagome heard it none the less.

"What is?" She asked curiously. She had watched his face for the past hour and yet, still, he had given no emotions away. If she didn't know any better, he was almost as good as Sesshoumaru in terms of hiding his emotions. Still, the fact that he interrupted her story had to mean something and she wanted to know what.

"Nothing." Was his response but Kagome was not going to let him slip.

"Something caught your attention." She insisted eagerly. "What's so _interesting_?" She added. Instantly the Inu chuckled. Shaking his head at her, he let out an uninterested sigh.

"If you are truly trying to read myself and my body language, you will get nowhere." He stated in an amused tone. Letting out a frustrated huff, Kagome scowled at the Inu.

"Why are you all the same!?" she asked annoyed at how calm and relaxed he was even while insulting her.

"We are not." He responded simple.

"Tell me Miko, why do you think Lord Sesshoumaru invited you into his home?" He asked with brows raised but an all knowing smile on his face. The question confused Kagome but his expression towards her angered her even more.

"Hmmm, could it be perhaps because we were, oh, you know, in his lands already?" She replied in an impolite tone while staring outside at the snow.

"Apparently, you do not know him as well as I thought." Was his only response to her comment. Something suddenly snapped inside of Kagome. Turning to the Inu, she slammed her hand on the table.

"Perhaps you could explain how you know him so damn well then!?" She hissed in annoyance.

"I am merely stating and trying to explain to you that Lord Sesshoumaru does not let just anyone stay in his castle._ Think about it, Miko._" He responded calmly. Calming herself down, she took a deep breath of air and let it out.

"I am not stupid. I knew Sesshoumaru well enough to realize that! However, we were allies. We were not strangers, so yes, he let us inside him castle to stay until Inu Yasha brought back the jewel and made his wish. " She explained suddenly feeling like a silly school girl that knew nothing. What was he trying to get at? Was he purposely trying to annoy and rattle her? Or, did he simply not understand why Sesshoumaru let them stay with him.

"Look, we needed a place to stay, perhaps he pitied us?" She added on, now completely unsure of herself. Why had he let them stay in the castle? Yet, Kagome knew if she began questioning that, she would begin questioning Sesshoumaru's personality and behavior during their entire search for the last shard.

"Sesshoumaru does not pity anyone." The Inu suddenly growled at her angrily. Kagome was shocked at the fire that was instantly in his eyes. Why was he so quick to defend Sesshoumaru? Why was he so _loyal_? Without even realizing it, Kagome's Miko powers began to surface in the assumption that she was in danger. Calming her body down, she let out a sigh.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?" She finally asked him when her powers had simmered down.

"No, like I stated before, I have no desire for you to tell me what I _already _know, Miko." He insisted standing up. Kagome let out a gasp at what he was implying. Was he lying? He had to be! Suddenly she had even more questions.

"Are you telling me you know what happened after we stayed in the castle-What happened after Inu Yasha came back with the Jewel, what he wished for and how I left?" She hissed at him in annoyance.

"Were you in the castle then? Or maybe you already knew this entire story? Who the hell are you?" She growled at the Inu and this time let her Miko power radiate around her body.

"Yes, I know what happened once you entered the castle and after. Yes, I was in the castle. No, I did not know the entire story, little Miko. Now I do though. As for whom am I? I believe I already answered your first three questions and no longer have to answer a fourth." He responded calmly with a smirk. Within seconds, he was gone once again. Sitting back down, Kagome attempted to stop herself from trembling—both from anger and from shock. Who was he? How did he know the rest of the story but not what she had just told him? Biting her lip, she picked up her purse and began to head home. She had a million questions but the Inu had helped her more than he knew. If it had not been for him, she would have truly thought all the Youaki had been extinct. After all, that had been her biggest fear-to be forgotten. Maybe she wasn't as forgotten as she had assumed.

Thinking back, she tried to review everything she knew of Shinji, the Inu so far. When he had asked to converse about 'Sesshoumaru' over coffee, he had been fidgeting and obviously nervous. Why? What reason did he have to be nervous? The moment she had pointed out that he had 'really' known Sesshoumaru, he had instantly put his guard up. Once more, why? What were his reasons? He had insisted that she would have no need for his identity, almost as if it wasn't important—yet, at the current moment, Kagome could not think of anything _more_ important. Suddenly, she remembered his comment about Jaken. He seemed to know Sesshoumaru better than possible. After all, Sesshoumaru did not seem to be one to talk much about himself. Yet, somehow, this Inu knew all about Rin, Jaken, Sesshoumaru and even everything that had happened in the castle and even everything that had happened up until she left the Feudal Era. How was that even possible?!

Who the hell was Shinji Murasaki?!


	7. Chapter 7

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

_"The day is all about everything being __perfect__ and __romantic__. You exchange gifts with the one you love, cute little presents. Something that is meaningful to them...something that shows them how much you love them. It's also a time to tell the ones you have secret feelings for how you feel about them." The women explained with an expression of eagerness. Was she truly so excited and eager to explain it to him? How had they even got on this subject? Oh, yes, he had asked what "Christmas" was. Suddenly, the scene changed but the same women remained just with a different expression on her face.  
><em>_**  
><strong>__"I fear and dread it." She stated sadly. "I know it will happen, yet it's still my biggest fear." She added on. "No one will remember me. No one."_

Sesshoumaru jolted out of bed while attempting to catch his breath. His panicked facial expression instantly disappeared and was replaced with an aloof one. Looking around the room, he took a deep breath while moving the silk sheets off his body. Getting out of bed, he proceeded to the large mirror hanging on the wall. Why did he suddenly have those dreams again? He had not had them for years; actually, it had been over a hundred years since the last one. So why were they once again coming back?

Had he _not_ known the Miko's personality, he would have assumed she put a curse on him. Still, she was far too pure to have those types of intentions and besides that fact, what reasons would there be for such an action? Not only that, would the curse not have been broken after she had died? Would that not have been hundreds and hundreds of years ago? Yet, here were the dreams again. Running his hands through his fine hair, he let out a tired sigh.

If the dreams were starting again that would mean that the restless night were soon to follow. Here he had thought they were over, here he had thought his fascinations with the Miko was finally over as well. Apparently he had been wrong, once again.

_"I fear and dread it .I know it will happen, yet it's still my biggest fear. No one will remember me. No one."_

It was as if these dreams were meant for him to never forget the Miko. Right now, that was all he wanted to do. Right now, he simply wanted rest and a clear conscience. Why had the Miko been so worried about being forgotten? Better yet, why had she been so sure, so damn sure that everyone would in fact forget about her? Over the last few hundreds of years, more and more questions about the Miko had lingered in his head. Yet, it seemed since the Miko was long deceased, he would not be getting answers anytime soon.

He simply did not understand why she was still haunting him. It was not as if he had courted the damn woman and had feelings for her! It was not as if he was considering her as a potential mate. No, she had just been an ally in the defeat of Naraku, and yet, the flash back of her disappearing still lingered in his mind. What had fascinated him so much about the woman anyway? Had it been her interaction with Rin? Had it been the sincerity of her feelings for her? Or had it had been the simple fact that she didn't hide her feelings to impress him? She didn't have to _try_ or _pretend _to like Rin; she naturally loved the little girl—much like he had. Back then, that had been a rare sight for his eyes.

_So this is Christmas._

Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the sound with ease and his previous thoughts instantly came to a stop. Narrowing his eyes, he opened his door to figure out where the music was coming from—or better yet, why it was on.

_And what have you done?_

Walking down the hall, he lingered while contemplating whether to follow the music or simply ignore it. As it continued, he decided to follow the sound in mere curiosity.

_Another year over_

Very few people simply walked into his home without invitation, raising his nose slightly in the air, he sniffed. Recognizing the scent instantly, he calmed a little. It seemed that someone had indeed made themselves at home in his living room.  
><em><br>And a new one just begun._

Finally approaching the living room, he smelled the scent of his fireplace burning. Turning the corner into the living room, Sesshoumaru raised a brow at his unexpected _guest_.

_And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun._

"Had someone told me 500 years ago that 'The Lord of the Western Lands' would let strangers come into his domain so freely-without so much as a growl, I'm sure I would have thought them to be insane." A deep voice spoke as a man with black hair hung in a low pony tail stood up.

"Strangers would have been killed within seconds had they made themselves as comfortable in my home as you have, Shinji." Sesshoumaru responded simply. A chuckle could be heard from the man known as Shinji.  
><em><br>_"I thought some Christmas spirit was in order—"The man began but was interrupted.

"You thought wrong." Sesshoumaru replied with a bored tone.

"If I remember correctly—"Shinji began once more but was yet again interrupted.

"I never cared for such childish holidays."

"And yet, somehow, I do remember a decorated tree almost 500 years ago." The dark haired man said with humor in his voice.

"You're reason for being here is?" Sesshoumaru asked as he slowly grew impatient while attempting to change the subject. How odd it was that an old ally was attempting to bring up memories that he had just had a dream about.

"Am I not welcome?"

"You would be aware if you were not."

"Even after 500 years—Sesshoumaru, you must work on those emotions of yours!" Shinji joked while ignoring the bored look in Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"I had a very interesting day today!" He added as he began heading in the direction of the kitchen.

"I met a woman!"

"I have no desire to hear of your relationships."

"Not like that! No, this one was a spitfire. A human."

"Is there a reason you are making yourself at home in my kitchen?" Sesshoumaru once again inquired while following him.

"The human, she defended you—quiet well I might add." He informed Sesshoumaru while grabbing a wine glass. Shinji stared at Sesshoumaru with a smirk plastered on his face. Suddenly he realized that he finally seemed to have gotten some of his attention.

"A human defended me? Pathetic." Was the response he received.

"On the contrary. Like I said, she did a good job—"

"How is it possible for a human to defend me when they don't even know what _we _are?" Sesshoumaru questioned the man with a sudden growl.

"Oh, of course, she described the _'Killing Perfection'-_the myth of the Lord of the Western Lands."

"I care of this why?"

"Well my friend, for one, she defended you with facts that no human should have ever known." Shinji responded with a mischievous look. The moment those words left his mouth, he knew that he had the Lord of the Western Lands complete and undivided attention. Oh yes, this was going to be a most interesting night...

**-Insert evil laugh here- Feed my addiction with reviews and the next chapter will come quicker ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

"You've got to be _kidding _me!" The raven haired women huffed out exhaustively.

"Why don't I get someone to help you with—"Her friend began to say.

"I've got it Eri! I've got it! It's just a Christmas tree!" Kagome grumbled all the while readjusting her arms and debating on how to pick up the tall and heavy box that contained a fake 7 foot Christmas tree inside. It was just a tree—not even a real one. She was _more than _capable of picking up a Christmas tree and putting it in the cart! Yet, as she tried to pick up the box once more, she let out an irritated huff once she realized that she would indeed be needing help.

"Ma'am? Can I help you with that?" A deep voice asked suddenly while Kagome angrily looked at her friend Eri.

"I should have been able to get it in the stupid cart at least!" Kagome mumbled under her breath frustrated at herself. Here she was unable to pick up a dang tree. She had survived and lived through demons trying to kill her and Feudal Era Japan and yet she could not even get the stupid tree in her cart. If that wasn't embarrassing, she didn't know what was.

"Hun, it's a 7 foot tree. It's two feet taller than you—"Her other friend Yuka attempted to make her feel better.

"I've just had a bad day…" Kagome moaned while letting out yet another sigh. As she saw the Christmas tree make its way in the cart, she turned to the man that had helped her. Instantly, her eyes narrowed at the supposed man. What was it about today?! Was today deemed 'Meet All Youaki' Day? Had she not gotten the memo? Why had it not been until _today _that she was beginning to sense them—all around her?! Staring at the man's face for a bit longer, she couldn't help but note that like many of the other Youkai men that she had met in the Feudal Era, he was dangerously handsome.

"Is there something on my face?" The man asked curiously while grinning ear to ear. Blushing, Kagome realized what it had looked like.

"Oh shoot, no, sorry—I mean, thank you!" Kagome babbled away nervously. Mentally, she tried to figure out why she could not get a better 'read' on the man. Even when the Inu known as Shinji had appeared, she had realized that he was an Inu Youkai. Yet, with this man, she simply knew him to be a Youkai. Then it hit her. Had Shinji sent someone to watch her? Surely seeing another Youkai in the same day was by no means a coincidence. Narrowing her eyes at the man, she poked him in the chest.

"Were you sent to follow me!?" She demanded in a low voice while glaring daggers at the man. The amount of surprise visible on his face instantly made Kagome regret her actions almost immediately. If the surprise that was evident even in his aura was truthful, the Youkai knew nothing. Bracing herself for all sorts of reactions from him, she got the one she never expected—laughter.

"Don't flatter yourself sweetheart. While you're decent eye candy, I am married" The Youkai responded in a playful tone causing Kagome to turn different shades of red at once.

"Are you okay?" Eri whispered in her ear while nudging her a bit. Apparently, she was not okay. Everything about today did not make sense. In fact, everything about today was completely wrong. When she had gone back and forth between this time and Feudal Era, she had never once sensed a Youkai in the future. Yet, suddenly, after years of the Bone Eater's well being sealed up they instantly began appearing in her life? Something was clearly _off_.

"Kagome—we need to hurry back home. The roads might be getting bad with all the snow." Ayame suddenly stated with impatience written all over her face. Nodding, Kagome began to follow her three friends out of the store after giving the mysterious Youkai a nod of thanks. As her friends and her stood in the checkout line, curiosity finally got the best of her.

"I'll be right back!" Kagome told her friends as she dashed back in an attempt to find the Youkai that had helped her with the tree. Quickly glancing in several isles, she finally spotted him standing next to a gorgeous woman who seemed to be contemplating on different dish sets. Walking up to the couple, she noticed the man glance up in mild surprise when he realized who she was.

"I'm sorry-this is going to sound stupid but curiosity is getting the best of me. I'm not quite sure if the universe is playing a sick joke on me but I have to know…" Kagome began while babbling once more at an attempt to figure out what to say. The woman that the male Youkai stood next to glanced up at her with confused eyes until suddenly it turned to one of fear and suspicion. Mentally, Kagome cursed her Miko powers for not working like they did in the Feudal Era as she realized that the woman also appeared to be a Youkai.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" Kagome began as she cringed at the expression the woman was giving at her.

"Hurt us?" The man asked with humor once again in his tone. "Why would you think you would—" he began but stopped when he heard whatever the woman had whispered under her breath.

"Miko?" He whispered in a confused tone while staring at her in almost as much shock as Kagome was feeling.

"Yes, I am but—"

"I was unaware Miko's were still around—well, ones that actually had _power_."

"Trust me when I say I thought you—well, Youkai in general were _extinct_!" Kagome whispered under her breath while mentally screaming for her heart to stop beating so fast.

"Why are you here?" The female asked while being much more guarded than the male.

"I can sense what you are—I just can't pin point it." Kagome tried to explain. When the male raised a brow, Kagome huffed out in irritation.

"Dog? Wolf? Fox? Cat? What are you!?" She inquired curiously. "I used to be able to sense what everyone was—and yet, now, I seemed to be lucky to sense that you two are different." Kagome added with bitterness in her voice.

"And yet you said that you did not think we existed mere seconds ago. Your stories do not add up, Miko." The woman stated coldly with narrowed eyes. Biting her lip, Kagome instantly realized her mistake and how much information she had just stated without meaning to. The woman was quick, there was no denying that.

"Kagome?! We're done!" A voice interrupted her once again and Kagome turned around to find Eri standing there with a bored look on her face. Turning back to the couple, Kagome stared at them with longing. If they were alive, was it possible that certain _other _Youkai were as well? Closing her eyes happily, she smiled.

'Maybe this Christmas I won't be alone.' Was her last thought before she left the store with her friends. At the moment, all she could think about was Shippo. If she could just find Shippo, perhaps she could have the closure she wanted. Maybe she could even get past her anger and feelings of betrayal regarding Inu Yasha—if she were to see him again. Without realizing, Kagome's thoughts drifted off to a completely different Inu Youkai. As snow fell down from the sky, she let out a wishful sigh. Perhaps, she would not have to be forgotten after all. Perhaps this Christmas would be different from the rest, and maybe—just _maybe_, she could really get a bit of happiness after all.

**A/N- I am absolutely in LOVE with the amount of reviews and feedback I got on the last chapter! Geez, if the reviews/feedback keeps coming in like that then chapters are going to be updated alot more! (Hint hint, now that you know what fuels my typing, haha.) That being said, I realize that this story is a bit slow but i'm getting all the boring/background stuff out of the way first. The next few chapters will start with the Sesshoumaru/Kagome interaction.**

**Now that Kagome realizes that Youkai still exist, this turns this story in a completely different angle. It also brings up alot of questions. Why was Kagome having issues with sensing other youkai until now? Also, old questions still remain as to why she left the Feudal Era, and what was Sesshoumaru doing at the well in the last second before she left? Better yet, what happened in the castle during that winter? ;) Oh and whom is Shinji?**

**Questions will be answered slowly in the next few chapters! If you have questions, feel free to review. If you think you know what is going to happen (or the answer to the questions) feel free to review ;) If you want to point out something to me...feel free to review! :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

The snow fell down rapidly and yet somehow also peacefully. Traffic was absolutely horrible after Kagome had exited the store with her friends. Yet, even as she drove home through the winter wonderland, her mind was only on one thing and one thing alone. _Youkai_. During the beginning of the drive, she had been so mesmerized with the two Youkai she had met, that she had almost run a red light. Had it not been for Eri telling her to stop, she would have most likely run the red light without even knowing it. Trying to tell herself to focus on the road more, she could not help but continue to wonder about the events that had all happened today.

The possibilities of what could happen from here on out were endless. Yet, she was not so naïve and foolish to think that now since she met Youkai here in Japan that she would suddenly be reunited with her past. Shaking her head, and letting out a sigh, she looked at the road ahead of her. The storm still continued. All she could see was white snow plummeting to the ground. Something about this time of the year calmed her drastically. It calmed her yet made her heart yearn and lust for what she thought would never be possible.

"RED LIGHT!" Her friends screamed suddenly. Instinctively, Kagome slammed on the breaks. It didn't take more than a second to realize why that had been a horrible mistake. As the tires hit black ice, the car began to spin out of control. Thinking quickly, Kagome attempted to turn the wheel in the direction of the skidding. Even with that, it seemed to do nothing and they continued to spin off the road. Hearing the few cars that were on road honk at her, Kagome mentally thanked the gods for the almost empty road. As fast as she could, she prepared herself for impact. Almost instantly Kagome felt her head slam into the steering wheel violently and heard the sound of the windows shattering from whatever they had hit. After what seemed like hours, Kagome began to stir.

"Kagome?! Kagome, are you okay?" She heard her friends' urgent and scared voice.

"Kagome, Kagome—I can't open the doors. They're stuck. The snow won't let me open the doors." Eri cried out in fear. Everything was so blurry but hearing the urgency in her friends' voice made Kagome desperate to open her eyes. Raising her hands, Kagome attempted to wipe off whatever was on her face. As her hands tried to brush off the foreign items off her face, she realized why her face hurt like hell. _Glass_. Tiny bits of glass had cut her skin and remained there. Finally managing to open her eyes, Kagome turned her head to where the panicked voice was coming from.

"You're bleeding. Oh my god_, you're bleeding_."

Kagome stared at her friends panicked and scared face. Slowly taking in everything, she realized just why her friend was so frightened. The car windows were shattered due to hitting two trees and all she could see was snow. The snow seemed to have almost swallowed up the whole car. Ignoring the pain and pounding in her head, Kagome turned to her side of the car. Seeing no snow on her side, she attempted to open the door. When the door wouldn't open, Kagome told herself to stay calm.

"We're in the middle of _nowhere_!"

"Eri, calm down. There were cars before we crashed. Someone will come." She attempted to reassure her friend but was shocked at how her own voice seemed to shake in fear. Eri must had heard the own fear in her friends voice because she silently began to cry.

"I feel sick, Kagome. I feel like i'm going to pass out."

"Are you okay, Eri?" Kagome asked, shocked that she had not even analyzed the entire situation yet. 'What would I do in the Feudal Era? What would I do if I was injured?' She asked herself nervously.

_You would call for help. You would call for Inu Yasha and the gang. _

Unable to control the tears that began to form in her eyes, Kagome turned in the opposite direction of Eri in fear of her seeing. Inu Yasha wasn't going to help her here—in the end, he had not even cared about her. Suddenly, another Inu appeared in her thoughts. _Sesshoumaru_—Sesshoumaru would have helped her. That exact moment, she heard a car pull up in the distance. Before she could even scream for help, her door _flew_ open. Youaki was her first thought. Only Youkai could literally _rip _a door open. Shivering from the cold and feeling like she was going to pass out, Kagome looked at the man that had rescued her.

Except it wasn't a man. It was a woman—a _demoness _to be exact.

"You? What? How-?" Kagome managed to mumble in confusion but was interrupted.

"Wrap my hands around your neck" the demoness with a face pale as the snow and hair dark as night instructed. When Kagome didn't instantly respond, the demoness glared.

"I may not have the strength of a dog or bear but I'm not weak—now _put your hands around my neck_" She repeated firmly while standing inches away from her. Nodding nervously, Kagome did as she was told. Instantly she was pulled out of the car in a way that a bride would be held by her husband.

"Yukio" The demoness spoke in a firm tone and it took Kagome a second to realize that there was someone else here. Were both of them here? Turning her face in the same direction as the demoness, she suddenly realized all the snow that had surrounded the car was gone. Blinking in confusion, she gasped as the door opened from Eri's side. How had that happened in mere seconds?! What about Eri? Was she okay?

"Your friend is fine, just unconscious" The demoness stated, almost as if reading her mind.

"Yukio, the door" The demoness once more instructed. Suddenly, from Eri's side of the car, the same man she had met in the store appeared in front of her. Almost completely covered in snow, he gave her a wolfish grin. Had he removed all the snow in that short of a time? Gazing at him in confusion, she watched as he opened the door to the car that the couple had arrived in. Suddenly the demoness set her in the back seat. Taking off her winter jacket, she handed it to Kagome.

"I'm fine" Kagome protested but the demoness raised a brow. "Thus why you're shivering?" She asked with boredom in her tone. Having had enormous experience with the stubbornness of Youkai, Kagome accepted the coat without another word. As the door opened from the opposite side that Kagome sat, she watched the Youkai known 'Yukio' place and seatbelt Eri in place. Before closing the door, he mimicked the demoness action and took his own coat off to put over her friend.

Kagome watched the demoness get in the driver's seat while Yukio got in on the other side. As she started up the car, questions began popping up in Kagome's head.

"How did you—"

"My brother followed you." The demoness responded while not even letting her finish.

"But why?"

"Really? You _really _have no idea why he would want to follow you?" The demoness responded with a slightly upset tone while turning the car on the road.

"My car—"

"Police will get it taken care of. Hospital for a _human _in your condition is number one priority." Yukio interrupted her in a serious tone.

"I'm not that injured—"

"Says the human with her face covered in blood and bruises all over her body." The demoness snapped back while turning on the heaters.

"I've been through worse." Kagome mumbled to herself while trying to ignore her pounding head. Glancing at her unconscious friend, she silently thanked the gods for all the help.

"Oh? You mean you make a habit out of not knowing how to drive in snow and hitting trees?" As Kagome stared at the demoness that was almost taunting and insulting her at the same time, she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Yukiko—perhaps we shouldn't upset the _miko_? You know, the one that could maybe-just maybe-purify us? _Just an idea._ " Yukio told the demoness now known as Yukiko.

"Yukio and Yukiko?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Our parents found the names fitting for artic wolves" Yukio answered with a low chuckle while glancing back and giving her a wink.

"You're wolves? Siblings?"

"So many questions. Should it not be us that have questions for _you_?" The demoness inquired emotionlessly. Kagome could not help but smile at the demoness. Her personality reminded her so much of Sesshoumaru. Her lack of emotion and her guarded attitude screamed 'Lord Sesshoumaru' to her.

"If Sesshoumaru had a sister, you would be it." She whispered to herself with a chuckle. The last thing she expected was the car to come to a complete halt and her already damaged face to hit the back of the driver's seat once more.

"What the-?" She gasped and turned to look at the front of the car. Both of the wolves stared at her with wide eyes and shock written all over their faces.

"What!?" She demanded. Both of the wolves exchanged glances and turned around. Almost as if nothing had happened, the demoness continued to drive again. Minutes passed and everyone remained silent in the car. Suddenly the demoness spoke up.

"You know Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome's eyes widened. Did they know Sesshoumaru? How should she respond? Had that been why the car had stopped instantly? Several questions flew through her head but Kagome settled on the truth.

"I've _worked _with him." Kagome worded carefully, not quite sure how to explain her situation to her newfound saviors. What she didn't expect was for the demoness to start laughing suddenly.

"Well, then this should be a very _interesting_ conversation." Came the demonesses amused respond. Beyond confused, Kagome wondered what she was talking about.

"Yukiko, surely she doesn't _know_ him—"The brother spoke up almost in fear. However, the demoness was already pressing buttons in her car and suddenly the sound of a phone ringing filled the car. Kagome suddenly gasped. Surely she wasn't calling _the _Sesshoumaru—was she!? Her heart began beating faster than she thought possible and she contemplated on how to handle the situation. What would she say? What would she do? Would he remember her? Was it really him!? Almost immediately, a familiar voice filled the car—a voice she had not heard in years.

"Yukiko, I cannot even begin to imagine why you would think you are _allowed _to call this number. There are proper channels if you have a problem. You know the rules. Now if I have to remind you of them one more time-" The voice began and Kagome became even more confused. Rules? Channels?

"I do apologize. I am aware of the rules and the chain of command in regards to youkai problem. This is a personal call—"

"I was unaware we were on such _personal _terms, wolf."

"I have a _miko _in my car, so yeah, it's kind of _personal_." The demoness hissed loudly and suddenly the phone and everyone in the car was quiet.

"Speak."

"Are you hiding information from the council? I was unaware of Miko's with power still existing—in fact, I'm pretty sure the council wasn't aware of it as well."

"The lack of respect that you're showing—are you truly that foolish?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I apologize on my sisters behalf. We shouldn't have called." Yukio interrupted while glaring at his sister who was still driving.

"I do not want to hear another word out of her."

"Understood, sir."

"The miko." Sesshoumaru's voice rang throughout the car again and Kagome remained as silent as a mouse. Was she dreaming this? Did she pass out when she got in the accident?

"We found her on the side of the road from a car accident. She needs to go to the hospital—she's hurt" The wolf stated nervously and Kagome couldn't help but wonder why he was withholding the truth. She had been the one to interact with him, she had been the one that had told them what she was-and yet he was not mentioning any of that.

"Why call me when you have an unconscious Miko in your car?" Sesshoumaru asked with something in his voice. While many probably wouldn't catch the tone he had used, Kagome had. After spending more time with him, she had learned that tone almost all too well. Sesshoumaru was sharp and picked up on everything. He knew something was up and yet his tone was disguised in what seemed like boredom. Yukio glanced at Kagome nervously and she understood. He was going to have to tell him the truth. Kagome nodded at the wolf and he nodded back grimly.

"She's conscious. I believe she called your name. It could have been a mistake—Yukiko was quick to judge" the wolf lied once more leaving Kagome even more baffled. What was going on?

"Miko, speak." His sharp voice rang through the car and Kagome bit her lip. Speak? Speak and say what? Touching her cheek and feeling the glass on her face, she then glanced at Eri. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak.

"I need a hospital, Sesshoumaru. My friend and I need a hospital—"She began and bit her bottom lip that had begun to quiver as tears threatened to come. Instantly, memories of the feudal era flashed through her mind and emotions she had been trying to hide began to surface.

"We're hurt. I was stupid. I wasn't paying attention to the road." Kagome began with shaky voice.

"I don't know what's _wrong_ with me. We took on gods, demons—I mean, we defeated _Naraku! Naraku! _Yet I can't even pick up a Christmas tree! A Christmas tree, Sesshoumaru! I can't even drive in Japan without nearly killing myself!" Kagome babbled with tears falling down her face like a waterfall. Shoving her face in her hands, she continued to cry from shame, embarrassment and anger. As her body shook from the cold and from her current emotional state, she barely heard the last sentence out of Sesshoumaru's mouth

"Get her to a hospital, _now_." Sesshoumaru growled over the phone in a tone she had never heard. As she silently continued to cry, she didn't even notice that the moment that he hung up, the car almost doubled in the speed it was going.

**A/N- I know everyone has been wanting a longer chapter and you guys totally deserve it! Thanks for being so awesome! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

"You are going to be the death of us, Yukiko!" He whispered to his sister angrily. The demoness remained quiet, just like she been for the rest of the ride since Sesshoumaru hung up the phone.

"You skipped protocol—you called the Lord of the Western Lands because you wanted to be _petty_ and prove a _human _wrong!" He hissed angrily.

"I felt he should be aware of our situation." His sister countered causing Yukio to let out a fake laugh.

"Right, because calling Sesshoumaru had nothing to do with you wanting to call the human out on being a liar. Now we look like fools! Fools, Yukiko!" He growled quietly. Slamming his door closed, he got out of the car, and opened the other door to pick up the Miko.

"You get her friend. I'll deal with this." He told her coldly as he picked the Miko up gently. Letting out a sigh, he watched his sister enter the hospital carrying the Miko's friend inside.

"Some help here!" His sister shouted at the people at the front desk. "The police are informed of the accident but we had no reception at the location of the accident and figured we would get them here quicker than police." He listened to his sister lie with such panic in her voice that even he almost believed her lies. However, he knew better, after all, lying was one of his sisters' best talents.

As nurses appeared, they directed him and Yukiko down the hall to some rooms. After getting both of the women in the rooms and situated, they were shooed outside the room. As the door closed in their face, Yukio turned to look at his sister once more.

"She can't be her. You know, '_her'_. She can't be!" His sister told him with panic in her voice. Vary rarely did she show emotions and when she did, everyone knew there was trouble. Sadly, this time the trouble was for them.

"Yes, I'm sure there is some other Miko out there that Sesshoumaru converses with!" He growled at her with anger.

"There's no way, Yukio! The Shikon Miko was 500 years ago! This woman looks like she's _barely _20!" His sister hissed quietly and yet the panic in her voice never left.

"Whom exactly are you trying to convince? Yourself? Who do you propose she is? Let's see, Miko with power that rambles about working with the Lord of the Western Lands and destroying Naraku—you're right, I'm sure those are all very common variables!"

"How would she have survived, brother? Tell me, how the hell that woman would survive for 500 years without aging, without magic evident in her aura and without Sesshoumaru knowing about it!? Cause, if I remember his tone, he was not expecting the Shikon Miko to talk to him on the _phone_!"

"So you're saying she made it up? What kind of human knows that kind of information!? Better yet, how does a Miko with powers slip under the councils radar!?" The moment he said that, his sister went quiet. They both had valid questions and they both had the right to be suspicious and confused but yet the only answer that was left was the one that neither wanted to accept.

"You disobeyed the chain of command, you talked back to a _lord_—not just any lord but one of the most powerful ones and then tried to make a fool out of a woman that _might_ be the Miko that saved the demon race! Tell me sister; please tell me how we are going to make it out of this _alive_!" Never had he been in such a predicament and so scared in his life.

"I have an idea." His sister spoke up and he restrained himself from rolling his eyes. At the moment, the last thing he needed was an idea from her. Raising a brow, he waited for her to speak.

"Call Koga. He'll make sure we won't be killed. He can take care of this." His sister began but Yukio interrupted her immediately.

"Why would I call another lord? Why would I ignore the chain of command and cause ourselves to be in more trouble!?" He hissed at his sister for such an idea.

"Many have said his strength rivals that of Sesshoumaru. While he may not be stronger than him, he can definitely hold his own. He's also a lord, he'd be able to fix this kind of thing—"

"He 'may' be able to fix this. I am not going on a 'may' right now."

"Yukio, you're married to the Ayame. Ayame was his fiancée hundreds of years ago—"

"Are you kidding me right now!? Do you realize how much trouble we could get into!? Even more, Ayame would have my head for not asking her first!"

"Yukio, we don't have much choice. If Sesshoumaru comes here and is displeased, we're not going to have time to _argue _our case! You know how he is! You know his reputation and better yet, his lack of patience!"

"Don't make a big deal out of it, just call him. We're all wolves—in the end, we're pack." His sister added in an almost pleading voice. Staring at her, he knew her plan was not completely foolish and yet it held certain dangerous possibilities. Nodding his head in approval, he took the phone. As he clicked the dial button, he quickly said a prayer for the safety of himself and Yukiko.

"Hello?" A deep voice spoke over the speaker phone with confusion in his tone.

"M'lord, this is Yukio—"He began politely and making sure to not make the same mistakes as his sisters in regards to disrespecting a lord.

"Yukio? Is something wrong? Is Ayame okay?" Came a worried tone from the Lord of the Northern lands.

"No, no—they're fine. However, I am in need of help." Yukio stated seriously while trying to not let the lord hear the panic in his voice.

"What is wrong?"

"My sister and I fear that we might have upset a lord—"

"Which?"

"What?"

"Which lord, Yukio? I have known you for a hundred years—you would not be so foolish to blatantly upset a lord. Yet Yukiko is another story all together."

"My lord—"

"What has she done? Whom has she upset?" Koga asked curiously.

"Lord Sesshoumaru" Yukio responded grimly and he heard the lord let out a long whistle of impressiveness.

"Surely even _she _is not that stupid."

"My lord, she argued back with Lord Sesshoumaru and skipped the chain of command."

"Oh, much like you—in regards to the chain of command? Surely you are smarter than her in knowing not to skip the chain of command…and yet here you are talking to me."

"What else has she done? While insulting and defying a lord is an offense along with not following the chain of command set in place by the council. Yet, I have a feeling even Sesshoumaru would not end your life for that. If I am to help, I need honestly."

"We may—or may not have insulted the Miko of the Shikon no Tama—" Instantly, the voice on the other line changed and became into a growl.

"You _dare_?! You dare insult her? I am not the youkai to ask for a pardon from such behavior" The wolf growled at Yukio angrily. "She has saved many, she was selfless and you _dare _speak ill of her!?" The wolf almost screamed through the phone.

"Sir, we need your help—"

"Why would you think I would help you with such an offense?!"

"We were unaware we were in the presence of the Miko." His sister blurted into the phone with fear in her voice.

"Sir, we picked up a human woman that needed help since she was in a car crash. We realized she was a Miko, but we were confused—they aren't supposed to exist anymore—not ones with powers at least! Then she said his name. So, I called him, thinking the human was a lair." His sister babbled into the phone.

"What are you saying!?" The deep voice said through the phone in confusion.

"We were bringing her to the hospital, when Sesshoumaru asked the Miko to speak. She started babbling about destroying demons and gods in the feudal era and then she brought up Naraku, sir." By now his sisters voice was shaking so much that it scared even Yukio. The Lord on the other line said nothing for several minutes.

"What did Sesshoumaru do?" He suddenly asked with worry laced in voice.

"He demanded we take her to the hospital." Yukio answered quietly.

"That's not possible!" Came the lord's voice.

"I'm not understanding—"

"If he demanded you take her to the hospital that means that…"

"She's the Miko. That's what we've come to realize, sir. Thus our predicament." Yukio explained nervously.

"Where is she?" Came the lord's demand, much similar to the tone that Sesshoumaru had used.

"I don't want to die." Yukiko whispered quietly but loud enough for the lord to hear.

"You tell me what hospital she is in and I will get you your damn pardon!" He growled over the phone angrily. Yukio exchanged relieved glances with his sister while letting out a sigh that he did not know he had been holding. Giving the lord the directions and locations of the hospital, he didn't even get to say thank you before Koga, the Lord of the Northern lands hung up on him.

**A/N- Oooohh this will definably make things much more interesting! I know, I know, you guys thought Kagome would get to meet Sesshoumaru this chapter. Let me honest and say that I thought so as well. Let me explain, I have written two different chapters on how this could have gone. (One chapter was of Sesshoumaru meeting Kagome in the hospital, and then there was this one. Since I couldn't decide which to post, I posted this one and will posting the second one next after I 'tweak' some things. Kagome WILL get to meet Sesshoumaru next chapter…that being said, I'll give you a few hints of the next chapters. It's going to be called "The Lords of Japan" and out of the four lords of Japan, **_**three**_**of them will be there to meet Kagome when she wakes up! Can anyone guess who the three lords will be?)**

**P.S- For those of you annoyed at how slow this story is going, I apologize but it's going to be a bit slow because I don't want to 'rush' everything.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Title**: A Christmas to Remember  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own Inu Yasha and Co.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: She sat there arguing with her clueless professor until he asked her "Higurashi, you act as if you knew him in person. Tell me, did you and the mythological Lord have tea together?" He asked with sarcasm in his voice. Kagome refused to let him belittle her, so with a smirk that spoke a thousand words she replied "No professor, The Lord of the Western lands and I never had tea together, although we did spend Christmas together."

Sesshoumaru stepped out of his car and closed the door. Looking up at the hospital he searched for confirmation. Expanding out his youki, he searched and within mere seconds found what he was looking for. As his youki surround her reiki, it did not do so in a hostile manner—instead, it waited for familiarity. Her reiki surrounded his youki with instant familiarity as both instantly recognized the other. That was all the confirmation he had needed. Proceeding inside the hospital, he did not bother asking for directions but simply followed the tug her reiki had on his youki—almost as if calling for him. Within seconds he was standing outside what had to be her hospital room. How her reiki recognized his after all this time was beyond him—after all, it had been five hundred years and that was a long time for even youkai, yet for a human, it seemed like 'forever.'

"Sir, you can't go in there unless you're family." A nurse said suddenly as she rushed to the door to prevent him from entering.

"She is family." He responded coolly. The woman was part of his pack, and pack was family. Technically, he had not lied. The nurse stared at him with hesitation until she finally gave a quick nod and moved out of the way.

"Be careful, both are in need of rest. They were in a horrible car accident." The nurse added in a serious tone. Sesshoumaru raised a brow at the nurse. What was she thinking he would do? Opening the door, he let himself in the room. Looking at the small room, he glanced at two women sleeping in each of their beds. Walking to the woman whom he had not seen for hundreds of years, he gazed in curiosity.

How was this even possible? He had been suspicious of the information Shinji had given him but the moment he had heard her voice, something had happened and all his doubts and questions about the Miko had been put aside for her wellbeing. The woman he had thought to have died almost five hundred years ago lay in front of him in a hospital bed. He frowned at all the cuts and bruises on her face along with how slow her heart was beating. Her wounds from the car accident proved the fact that she was human even more. If she had barely survived a car accident, how had she managed to stay alive for over five hundred years?

"Miko" He said quietly to no one in particular. When the woman did not so much as stir, his worry intensified. He had just talked to her mere hours ago. Surely the legendary Miko that had destroyed Naraku would not die from such an event like a car accident, would she?

"How is it you've survived what most humans don't even think exists and yet your downfall is a _tree_?" He asked the Miko with even more curiosity. It seemed that even after five hundred years, she still constantly made him ask more and more questions. How was she alive and yet barely aged? Closing his eyes, he recalled her crying over the phone while babbling about Christmas trees and driving. Was she truly having such a hard time adjusting to a life where it _appeared_that humans ruled the earth? Had she really been that fragile? So fragile that she could barely survive in a time that had favored humans? Glancing once more at the woman and eyeing her bruises and cuts on her body, he decided that she was, indeed, that fragile.

Letting his youki surround her even more than before, he let it nudge her reiki in hopes of her awakening. Almost immediately, she began to shift in her bed. Slowly opening her eyes, she glanced at him. It took her almost a minute to focus in on him. The moment she did, her reiki seemed to withdraw itself instantly and the woman narrowed her eyes at him in worry and suspicion. Backing up in her bed, what sounded very similar to a growl escaped the miko's mouth.

"Who are you?" She asked cautiously and for a moment, Sesshoumaru was caught off-guard-something that hardly ever happened. Quickly, when he realized what the problem was, he returned his facial expression to an emotionless one. Instead of the appearance she would remember, he no longer had markings and instead of silver hair, he had short almost blonde-like hair. To her, he appeared to be a very human looking business man. Mentally contemplating on how to go about his identity, he decided if the quickest way _might_be best. When the miko sat there with suspicion in her eyes, he decided that the quickest way would indeed be the best choice. Without hesitation, he removing the spell that made him appear human. Curiously, he watched and waited for a reaction from the woman. However, the reaction that he suddenly received was not the one he had expected.

Her eyes went wide and without any hesitation, she flung herself at him. Reacting on instinct from the time he had spent with her, he let her embrace him in a bear hug. It was clear that the woman needed someone to watch out and be there for her. It only made sense that since she was pack, he would be there for her. First though, he needed to get some answers.

"I was under the impression you were dead, Miko." He stated calmly. Raising a brow at the woman, he waited for her answer.

"I was under the impression _you_were dead!" She whispered in shock. Letting out a sigh, he sat on the hospital bed to glance at the Miko. Why would she think he had died? Surely she was aware of a how long a youkai could live, was she not?

"My impression made much more sense. You are human; you don't have a long lifespan whereas one of a youkai is more than several thousands of years." He stated simply while causing the woman to laugh. Narrowing his eyes at her, he wondered what was so funny.

"You talk." The Miko pointed out weakly. Had the Miko gone mad? Of course he talked. As Kagome noted his expression, she let out a small smile.

"I mean, you really talk. Not just three word sentences." She explained and he continued to stare at her. Thinking back to the winter when the Miko had visited his castle, he had remembered how needy she was in terms of talking. No matter what she was doing, she had almost never stopped babbling. It seemed that even after five hundred years, some things never changed.

"Words are needed more often in this time." Was the only explanation he could seem to give her. Surely she should have realized this by now. The Miko began to frown at his words but then sadly nodded.

"I suppose so. Is that the reason for the human appearance?" She asked sadly. Reminding him that he was now in his true form, he quickly converted back to the human appearance. Surely she should have understood the reason for the spell, and yet her eyes told a completely different story. She had survived five hundred years; surely she should have known the reason for everything.

"You have hid for five hundred years, why?" He asked curiously. The confusion that appeared in her eyes began to slowly annoy him. Had she truly been that hurt through the car accident that she was having memory issues? Slowly, her facial expressions went from confused to shock and then realization.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru—"She began but was interrupted with a knock on the door. As he turned to the door, he mentally growled in anger. Had he truly been so focused on the Miko that he had let down his guard? Narrowing his eyes at the door, he wondered how news about the Miko had spread so quickly. Whoever had given information about her so easily would surely pay.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered with caution in her voice.

"It appears old allies have heard of your appearance." He stated coolly with irritation apparent on his face.

"Allies? What? Who? Why?" Kagome asked with shock apparent on her face and in her voice. Raising a brow, this time it was the Lord of the Western lands turn to stare at her in confusion. _Why_? Had she not saved Youkai and humans alike? Had she truly asked why she would have allies? Or was she asking why they would come once they were informed of her sudden appearance?

Another knock was heard by both and Kagome nervously bit her lip.

"You will be safe. If you wish for no company, it will stay that way." Sesshoumaru stated in a serious tone.

"No, I suppose I should confront them." The nervousness in her voice made Sesshoumaru ever more curious.

Instantly, the door opened to reveal two men standing at the door.

"Shinji?!" The fact that the miko had addressed one of his only friends first made Sesshoumaru wonder more than a few things. For one, he was suddenly very sure that Shinji had left out some vital information about how he had met the Miko. The woman's voice held familiarity, shock and happiness.

"Ahhh, Kagome, I do hope you are not harmed." The Inu Youkai responded with worry laced in his voice. As he headed towards the bed, he examined the woman carefully. His black hair that was hung in a low pony tail fell over his shoulder as he examined Kagome's face with a scowl.

"You should have been more careful!" He insisted with narrowed amber eyes. When Kagome let out a sigh of annoyance, Shinji instantly quieted.

"I am just saying that you should be more careful!"

"Says the mysterious and annoying Inu that seems to resemble Sesshoumaru in more ways than just physical appearances." Kagome grumbled under her breath knowing well that the two could both hear her.

"Why would they not? They are related—not closely but related none the less. Besides, the Lord of the West and South have been together as friends since, well, before Naraku." An annoyed voice added from the doorway.

Kagome gazed to the man with short black hair and piecing blue eyes in confusion. The instant he had spoken, her eyes widened.

"Koga?!" When an almost wolfish grin appeared on the man, Kagome gasped in happiness. As she attempted to push herself off the bed to greet her old friend, a hand pushed her back down in a gentle manner.

"You are to rest." The tone that Sesshoumaru had used told her there was no room for arguments. Luckily, within seconds, Koga was by her side embracing her with happiness.

"Koga, what are you doing here?! How!? What?—"

"A little bird—well, _wolf_, told me there was a crazy miko rambling about Naraku." The wolf began with an amused tone.

"I put two and two together and realized that even though you were technically supposed to be dead, it had to be you." He explained. When Kagome narrowed her eyes at him and then gave Sesshoumaru the same stare, everyone went quiet.

"Okay, so someone please explain to me why I'm _supposed _to be dead." When confusion appeared on all of the men's faces, Kagome continued.

"I'm not dead! I never was dead! I told everyone I was leaving! So why in the world are you all shocked to see me alive?!" She asked in an annoyed and angry tone. When she noticed Shinji exchange glances with Sesshoumaru whom then exchanged glances with Koga, she suddenly realized something very bad had happened.

"Inu Yasha" Koga all but growled.

"And the jewel!" Shinji added in sudden understanding.

Suddenly Kagome's heart fell and she shuddered. Whatever had happened was indeed bad—if not horrible. The angry looks that the three Youkai had exchanged between each other were more than enough to make Kagome realize that something unspeakable and awful had happened after she left the Feudal Era.


End file.
